DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed 4/3/2026, with respect to the new drawing have been fully considered and are persuasive. The submitted drawing has addressed the previous claim objections.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to amended claim 1 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Applicant's arguments filed 4/3/2026, with respect to claim 2, have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant argues Benedict forces switch S2 to remain on continuously so long as the voltage of the second ESD falls within an acceptable operating window, and thus continues to operate. Examiner reminds Applicant the actual claim language is not ‘continues to operate’ and the claim language instead recites ‘to start a conversion operation’. When switch S2 is on continuously, there is no conversion, instead the output voltage tracks the input voltage because both are directly connected. As shown in Figure 3, when the voltage is between Vdchigh* and Vdclow* the output (Fig. 3 solid line) tracks the input (Fig. 3 dashed line) without any conversion. Only when the voltage falls below the range does the conversion start, which maintains the output within the range, while the input source is discharged. Examiner maintains Benedict discloses the control device causes the first bidirectional DC/DC converter to start a conversion operation when a voltage between the pair of input and output terminals of the first energy storage system changes beyond a dead zone range and the rejection has been maintained below.
Drawings
The drawings were received on 4/3/26. These drawings are approved.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 1 and 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ye (US 2014/0375125) in view of Abdelhakim (US 2023/0006447).
With respect to claim 1, Ye discloses a power grid stabilization system comprising: a first energy storage system (Fig. 3 DC bus capacitor); and a second energy storage system (Fig. 3 Battery), wherein each of the first energy storage system and the second energy storage system includes a pair of input and output terminals (Fig. 3 terminals at Vbe and Vdc), and is configured to store DC power input through the pair of input and output terminals as energy and to output the stored energy as DC power through the pair of input and output terminals, and wherein an energy storage capacity of the second energy storage system is larger (Ye discloses the battery is the main energy storage device which has “good energy capacity” [from paragraph 94]; while the more expensive capacitor has “relatively low energy density” [paragraph 4] and is used in a supplemental role to satisfy the fast power requirements of the system) than an energy storage capacity of the first energy storage system, the power grid stabilization system further comprising: a bidirectional AC/DC converter (Fig. 3 DC/AC charges and discharges to Inf. BuS) connected between an AC power grid (paragraph 39) and the pair of input and output terminals of the first energy storage system; and a first bidirectional DC/DC converter (Fig. 3 DC/DC charges and discharges to Battery) connected between the pair of input and output terminals of the first energy storage system and the pair of input and output terminals of the second energy storage system. Ye does not disclose wherein the bidirectional AC/DC converter and the first energy storage system constitute a modular multilevel converter, the modular multilevel converter includes a plurality of submodules connected in cascade between a positive DC terminal and a negative DC terminal as the pair of input and output terminals, each of the plurality of submodules including a power storage element.
Abdelhakim discloses wherein the bidirectional AC/DC converter and the first energy storage system constitute a modular multilevel converter (Fig. 1 2), the modular multilevel converter includes a plurality of submodules (Fig. 2 7) connected in cascade between a positive DC terminal (Fig. 1 DC upper) and a negative DC terminal (Fig. 1 DC lower) as the pair of input and output terminals, each of the plurality of submodules including a power storage element (Fig. 2 22). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement wherein the bidirectional AC/DC converter and the first energy storage system constitute a modular multilevel converter, the modular multilevel converter includes a plurality of submodules connected in cascade between a positive DC terminal and a negative DC terminal as the pair of input and output terminals, each of the plurality of submodules including a power storage element.
With respect to claim 6, Ye in view of Abdelhakim make obvious the power grid stabilization system according to claim 1, further comprising a second bidirectional DC/DC converter (Fig. 3 DC/DC connected to EDLC), wherein a pair of primary-side terminals of the first bidirectional DC/DC converter and a pair of primary-side terminals of the second bidirectional DC/DC converter are connected in parallel (Fig. 3 DC/DC in parallel) to the pair of input and output terminals of the first energy storage system (Fig. 3 bus capacitor at Vdc), and a pair of secondary-side terminals of the first bidirectional DC/DC converter and a pair of secondary-side terminals of the second bidirectional DC/DC converter are connected in parallel to the pair of input and output terminals of the second energy storage system (Fig. 3 Battery and EDLC).
With respect to claim 7, Ye in view of Abdelhakim make obvious the power grid stabilization system according to claim 1, further comprising: a second bidirectional DC/DC converter (Fig. 3 DC/DC to EDLC charges and discharges); and a third energy storage system (Fig. 3 EDLC) having a pair of input and output terminals, the third energy storage system being configured to store DC power input through the pair of input and output terminals as energy and to output the stored energy as DC power through the pair of input and output terminals, wherein an energy storage capacity of the third energy storage system is large enough to supply the fast power demand of the system, a pair of primary-side terminals of the first bidirectional DC/DC converter and a pair of primary-side terminals of the second bidirectional DC/DC converter are connected in parallel to the pair of input and output terminals of the first energy storage system (Fig. 3 in parallel at Vdc), a pair of secondary-side terminals of the first bidirectional DC/DC converter is connected to the pair of input and output terminals of the second energy storage system (Fig. 3 Battery), and a pair of secondary-side terminals of the second bidirectional DC/DC converter is connected to the pair of input and output terminals of the third energy storage system (Fig. 3 EDLC). While Examiner believes Ye intends the energy storage capacity of the third power system (Fig. 3 EDLC) is higher than the energy storage capacity of the first energy storge system (Fig. 3 bus capacitor at Vdc), Ye does not explicitly state it must be so. Nevertheless, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement wherein an energy storage capacity of the third energy storage system is larger than the energy storage capacity of the first energy storage system, in order to provide the energy storage capacity needed to provide the fast power response needed by the system.
Claim(s) 2-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ye (US 2014/0375125) in view of Benedict (US 2009/0033304).
With respect to claim 2, Ye discloses a power grid stabilization system comprising: a first energy storage system (Fig. 3 DC bus capacitor); and a second energy storage system (Fig. 3 Battery), wherein each of the first energy storage system and the second energy storage system includes a pair of input and output terminals (Fig. 3 terminals at Vbe and Vdc), and is configured to store DC power input through the pair of input and output terminals as energy and to output the stored energy as DC power through the pair of input and output terminals, and wherein an energy storage capacity of the second energy storage system is larger (Ye discloses the battery is the main energy storage device which has “good energy capacity” [from paragraph 94]; while the more expensive capacitor has “relatively low energy density” [paragraph 4] and is used in a supplemental role to satisfy the fast power requirements of the system) than an energy storage capacity of the first energy storage system, the power grid stabilization system further comprising: a bidirectional AC/DC converter (Fig. 3 DC/AC charges and discharges to Inf. BuS) connected between an AC power grid (paragraph 39) and the pair of input and output terminals of the first energy storage system; and a first bidirectional DC/DC converter (Fig. 3 DC/DC charges and discharges to Battery) connected between the pair of input and output terminals of the first energy storage system and the pair of input and output terminals of the second energy storage system. Ye remains silent as to establishing a dead zone range.
Benedict discloses a control device (Fig. 5 110) to control operations of the bidirectional AC/DC converter (Fig. 5 318) and the first bidirectional DC/DC converter (Fig. 5 102), wherein the control device causes the first bidirectional DC/DC converter to start a conversion operation when a voltage between the pair of input and output terminals of the first energy storage system changes beyond a dead zone range (Fig. 3 Vdchigh* to Vdclow*). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement a control device to control operations of the bidirectional AC/DC converter and the first bidirectional DC/DC converter, wherein the control device causes the first bidirectional DC/DC converter to start a conversion operation when a voltage between the pair of input and output terminals of the first energy storage system changes beyond a dead zone range, in order to improve the ripple and transients on the DC bus.
With respect to claim 3, Ye in view of Benedict make obvious the power grid stabilization system according to claim 2, wherein the control device causes the first bidirectional DC/DC converter to end the conversion operation when the voltage between the pair of input and output terminals of the first energy storage system matches a voltage target value (Benedict Fig. 3 energy store charged back to bus level when dashed line rises to bus voltage) within the dead zone range or returns to an operation end range within the dead zone range.
With respect to claim 4, Ye in view of Benedict make obvious the power grid stabilization system of claim 2, wherein the control device causes the first bidirectional DC/DC converter to start the conversion operation (Benedict Fig. 2 210) to transfer DC power from the first energy storage system to the second energy storage system when the voltage between the pair of input and output terminals of the first energy storage system increases beyond an upper threshold value (Fig. 2 208) defining the dead zone range, and the control device causes the first bidirectional DC/DC converter to start the conversion operation to transfer DC power from the second energy storage system to the first energy storage system when (Fig. 2 212) the voltage between the pair of input and output terminals of the first energy storage system decreases beyond a lower threshold value (Fig. 3 dashed line falls below Vdclow*) defining the dead zone range.
With respect to claim 5, Ye in view of Benedict make obvious the power grid stabilization system according to claim 4, wherein the first energy storage system (Fig. 3 bus capacitor at Vdc) includes a first positive electrode terminal and a first negative electrode terminal as the pair of input and output terminals, the second energy storage (Fig. 3 Battery) system includes a second positive electrode terminal and a second negative electrode terminal as the pair of input and output terminals, and Ye does not fully illustrate the first bidirectional DC/DC converter in Figure 9a.
Benedict discloses wherein the first bidirectional DC/DC converter includes: a first switching element (Fig. 1 S2) connected between the first positive electrode terminal and an intermediate node; a reactor (Fig. 1 L) connected between the intermediate node (Fig. 1 Node S1-S2) and the second positive electrode terminal (Fig. 1 104-L); a second switching element (Fig. 1 S1) connected between a node commonly connected to the first negative electrode terminal and the second negative electrode terminal (Fig. 1 104-S1), and the intermediate node; and a first diode (Fig. 1 D2) and a second diode (Fig. 1 D1) connected in parallel and in a reverse bias direction to the first switching element and the second switching element, respectively, the control device (Fig. 1 110) controls the first switching element to be in a switching state of repeatedly turning on and off and controls the second switching element to be in an open state when (Fig. 1 buck operation) the voltage between the pair of input and output terminals of the first energy storage system increases beyond the upper threshold value, and the control device controls the second switching element to be in the switching state and controls the first switching element to be in the open state when (Fig. 1 boost operation) the voltage between the pair of input and output terminals of the first energy storage system decreases beyond the lower threshold value. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement wherein the first bidirectional DC/DC converter includes: a first switching element connected between the first positive electrode terminal and an intermediate node; a reactor connected between the intermediate node and the second positive electrode terminal; a second switching element connected between a node commonly connected to the first negative electrode terminal and the second negative electrode terminal, and the intermediate node; and a first diode and a second diode connected in parallel and in a reverse bias direction to the first switching element and the second switching element, respectively, the control device controls the first switching element to be in a switching state of repeatedly turning on and off and controls the second switching element to be in an open state when the voltage between the pair of input and output terminals of the first energy storage system increases beyond the upper threshold value, and the control device controls the second switching element to be in the switching state and controls the first switching element to be in the open state when the voltage between the pair of input and output terminals of the first energy storage system decreases beyond the lower threshold value, in order to provide the buck or boost operation required to regulate the dc bus.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-10 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. See the action dated 1/6/2026 for the reasons for indicating allowable subject matter.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HARRY RAYMOND BEHM whose telephone number is (571)272-8929. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 8-5 EST.
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/HARRY R BEHM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838
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